Winter Fireflies
by Mio-san
Summary: Vash takes Lilli to see the Christmas lights. Light LiechSwitz fluff!


**A/N: Oh my God. While I was writing this, a TV program came on, and the bar below said something like, "Vash Week." No lie.**

**Anyway, I went downtown to see the Christmas lights in [CENSORED], and this was what happened. Just a short little oneshot for Lilli-chan and our beloved Switzy (as countries, mind you), so enjoy!**

…

"_Big brother, let's go see the Christmas lights!"_

That's what Lilli had said, her big green eyes full of pleading, and it was in his inexplicable desire to please his sister and a slight dose of Christmas-spirit syndrome that Vash had agreed, though not before wrapping her thoroughly in a scarf, mittens, a hat, and a slightly-too-big coat. They had left the house and walked downtown as night fell, the stars appearing one by one overhead. There had been a brisk winter wind earlier, but now it had died down, and it was just the silent, frozen air, pedestrians occasionally passing the two on the sidewalk, and white lights strung through the trees, illuminating Lilli's face. Her eyes were alight with awe, and she clung to Vash's arm as they strolled, her gaze locked on each and every one of the individual lights. Once in a while she would point them out to Vash, who simply nodded and returned to sending fierce glares in the direction of any who stared.

It probably looked strange, he thought—an older boy with the look of someone in his early twenties or late teens, and a young girl with the appearance of an eleven or twelve-year-old. But Vash had become accustomed to the strange atmosphere that accompanied going anywhere with Lilli. It was awkward, of course, but he had been through much worse.

"Big brother, look!" Lilli poked Vash in the arm. "They look like fireflies!"

"Wha—oh." Vash followed Lilli's finger and looked up at a cluster of lights tangled among a group of branches. They did, indeed, look like fireflies—a group of them, frozen in the quiet air. But instead of saying so, he merely said, "Fireflies wouldn't be out this time of year."

"So… winter fireflies."

"Sorry?"

"Winter fireflies." Lilli smiled. "Like special fireflies that only come out during the winter."

"They're just lights," pointed out Vash, hating the words the more they resonated in his mouth.

His "little sister" giggled. "Well, you have to use your imagination! Otherwise it won't work!"

Vash wasn't one for imagining games, but instead of making that remark, he just squeezed Lilli's hand and pulled on it lightly. "C'mon. We're almost there."

"Almost where?"

"I want to show you something." They stopped at a crosswalk, and Vash cast another glance at Lilli, whose eyes were full of curiosity. Her breath fanned out into the cold air in an icy fog, making Vash worry if it really was too cold a night for them to be out. Almost everyone else had retreated to their homes by now, curling up by the safety of the fire to avoid another cruel winter's night. But there they were, outside in freezing temperatures like utter fools… and yet Vash didn't mind, as long as Lilli was happy.

Said blonde girl had begun to squirm with excitement as the signal changed and they walked across the street. "What is it, big brother?" she pleaded. "Please tell me!"

Vash stifled a smile. "No way. It's a secret 'till we get there."

"Oh, alright…" Lilli squirmed again. "Let's hurry!"

The two siblings crossed another street, rounded the corner of a ceramics shop, and Vash's sister gasped.

Directly ahead of them was a large, tall pine tree, rising into the darkened sky in a majestic silhouette. Lights of every color were wrapped around every branch, creating an incredible vision of color that lit up the night around them and cast glittering lights across the snow. The whole thing was otherworldly, almost ethereal, and even Vash had to admit that.

Lilli, however, wasn't afraid to express herself. "It's _beautiful_!" she cried. "Winter fireflies everywhere! How, big brother?"

Vash flushed—from the cold, of course. "The people did it, not me. You can thank them."

But Lilli had already left her brother's side, pawing at the branches above her as she twirled underneath the strings of lights. They reflected off of her white beret (matching Vash's, to his embarrassment) and threw themselves at his feet, almost resembling disco lights. "Come on, big brother!" she called.

"Um… no thanks." Vash shook his head. "I'll just stay here."

Lilli's face fell, and she looked so genuinely heartbroken that Vash forced himself to reconsider. "I guess… just for a minute," he said tentatively, stepping underneath the massive tree with Lilli.

…

"_It really is magical, isn't it?"_

Vash and Lilli sat together underneath the tree, pine needles pricking at Vash's uniform and making him squirm. He shifted so that he was out of their range, but closer to Lilli, and she unconsciously leaned into his warmth. "It's cold."

"The coldest winter we've had in a while." Though it made for awkward conversation, Vash knew it was the truth.

"Big brother?"

"Yeah."

Lilli met Vash's eyes with her very similar ones, despite the fact that they were technically not related. "Thank you for a wonderful evening. I really loved seeing the Christmas lights."

"Oh… well… ah…" Vash was all too aware of the blush creeping up his neck. "It was nothing. I thought you'd enjoy it."

"Well, it was very sweet." Lilli leaned her head against Vash's arm, and they sat in silence as tiny snowflakes drifted around them, a few crystalline drops landing on her eyelashes and dotting his coat. It had become even colder and darker, and Vash knew he had to get his sister home. Perhaps it was time to let her know—

Lilli suddenly gasped, and Vash automatically reached for the rifle he knew wasn't there. "Big brother! Look!"

"What is it?"

"Winter fireflies! They're emerging from the tree!" Lilli pointed excitedly through the branches above them. Vash squinted at her, confused, but eventually sighed and tried to indulge her. What he saw surprised even him—the colored lights combined with the many stars above them gave the illusion of thousands of tiny lights taking off from the tree and fluttering away into the night sky, shimmering brightly. He could almost see the luminescent wings beating like tiny heartbeats as they took off for freedom… and their new home.

"Do you see them?" Lilli sounded excited.

Vash sighed and got to his feet, dusting the snow off of his coat. "Yes, I see them," he said exasperatedly. "But you're freezing. You'll catch pneumonia in this weather, and so will I. We're going back to the house right now."

"Ah—yes, big brother!" Lilli smiled and got to her feet as well, latching onto Vash's arm once more. "May we have hot chocolate, too?"

"I—if that's what you want."

"Thank you!"

They emerged from the bottom of the tree and stepped onto the sidewalk, which was now covered with ice. Lilli clinging to him for support, Vash made his way back across the street and headed towards the house with his little sister, whose nose was red from the cold and her face pale. But there was a bright, sunny smile on her face that could have melted almost any heart, and a slight skip in her step.

_The things I do for her, _thought Vash, and glanced back where they had came. He could still see the lights of the tree and above, the everlasting expanse of stars, dotting the sky like tiny beacons of hope—or whatever the viewing soul had to say about it. They spread their wings one by one and took off from the spindly branches, climbing higher into the sky until they were lost amongst the night.

Vash smiled.

_Winter fireflies, indeed._

…

**A/N: Finished at 10:00 at night, so don't judge. R&R guys!**


End file.
